Richard c



I (No Model.)

B. O. DERBY,

DOCUMENT FILE.

No. 598,365. Patented Feb. 1, 1898.

27 WITNESSES. II INVENTOR A ZWW 7% By cfik ATTORNEYS.

SATES RICHARD O. DERBY, OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.

DOCUMENT-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,365, dated February 1, 1898.. Application filed June 30,1897. $erial No. 642,971. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD O. DERBY, of Newport, in the county of Newport and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and Improved Document-File, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to files for holding documents-such, for instance, as letters, bills, general office-documents, books, 850.; and the object is to provide a device of this character in which the documents may be closely packed together and held, thus preventing an accumulation of dust on the same and in which the documents are readily accessible; and a further object is to provide a file which will be comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

I will describe a document-file embodying my invention, and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a document-file embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and drawn on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a section at right angles to Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a portion of a modified form of the file.

. ends of the uprights.

Referring first to the example of my improvement shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, 1 designates a base consisting of any suitable material and having uprights 2 at its ends. Supported on the upper ends of the uprights is a rod 3, which is here shown as round in crosssection. The rod 3 is removable from the uprights, and to prevent its rotation the ends of the rod are made angular to engage in correspondingly-shaped notches in the upper When in position, the rod 3 may be secured in place by means of hooks 4, attached to staples on the uprights and engaging with pins on the ends of the rod.

Suspended from and movable longitudinally of the rod 3 are a number of partitions 5. These partitions will have their lower ends somewhat above the base 1, so as to facilitate the cleaning of said base by means of a brush or cloth, which may be moved under the ends of the partition, and also to avoid undue friction of the partitions. The upper end of each partition is provided with a semi circular notch to engage around the lower side of the rod 3,-and a clamp-plate 6, pivot ally connected to the partition, has a semicircular portion designed to engage with the upper portion of the rod. One end of this clamp plate is provided with an opening through which a lug 7 extends, and a pin 8 is passed transversely through an opening in the lug above the plate. The log 7 is extended from a plate 9, secured to the partition. The opposite end of the plate 6 is provided with an opening through which a thumb-screw 10 passes. engages in a tapped hole in a plate 11, secured to the partition. Obviously upon loosening the thumb-nut 10 the plate 6 may be loosened sufficiently to allow the partition to be moved along the rod 3, and when in the proper position by tightening the thumb-nut the partition will be held rigid.

In the operation of this device the documents will be placed between the partitions or between one of the end partitions and an upright, and then the partition must be moved to force the documents closely together.

In the modification of my invention shown in Fig. 4, 12 designates a base for the documents to rest upon. This base may be a fixed shelf, or it may be portable and have end uprights, as shown in the first example of my improvement. Above the base 12 is a rod 13, which is rectangular in cross-section and is designed to support the partition or partitions 14. The partition 14 has an angular notch at its upper end into whichthe rod 13 passes. The partition is removable and movably supported on the rod13 by means of a bar 15, movable across the top end of the partition and engaging upon the upper side of the rod 13. This bar 15 slides through keepers 16 and 17, attached to the partition, one forward and the other rearward of the rod 13. When the partition is placed on the rod 13, the bar 15 will be forced into place and a pin 18 will be passed through a hole in said bar and into a socket or hole formed on the top of the partition. This bar 15 will preferably be rectangular in cross-section, so that there will beno difficulty in registering the opening through This thumb-screw it With the socket in the partition. The front end of the bar is provided with a suitable finger-piece 19.

As a means for fastening the partition in its adjusted position on the rod 13 I employ a screw-threaded rod 20, having its screwthreaded portion engaging in a screw-threaded opening through a 111g 21, secured to the side of the partition, and the shank portion of this screw-threaded rodis movable through a lug 22, placed near the front edge of the partition. By turning this screw-threaded rod its end may be made to impinge tightly against the rod 13 and hold the partition as adjusted. As here shown, the front edge of the partition at the upper end is cut away, as at 23, so that the outer ends of the rods 15 and will be at all times within the vertical plane of the straight front edge of the partition .and therefore will form no obstruction. The rear edge of the partition at its upper portion is cut away, as shown at 24, the object being to equalize the weight of the partition as it hangs from the rod 13. It will be seen that the rod 13 is located nearer the rear edge of the partition than the front edge. On the front edge of the partition at its lower end a boxing is secured, and pivoted to swing into and out of this boxing is an arm 26. The arm 26 will be held in its closed position by means of a spring 27, secured in the boxing and engaging with its free end against the pivoted end of the arm. The arm 26 will be of sufficient length to reach across the front edge of the base 12, there beinga space between the lower edge of the partition and said base. When the partitionis in its adjusted position, the arm 26 may be swung downward and a pin 28 inserted through an opening in said arm into a socket near the edge of the base. This arm, however, may be omitted unless there are heavy documents in the file which would cause considerable pressure against the partition. The arm 26, it is obvious, may be employed in connection with the partitions 5.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A document-file,comprising a base, a rod extended above said base and longitudinally thereof, a partition supported by the rod and movable longitudinally thereof, there being a space between the lower end of said partition and the base, and means for clamping and rigidly holding the partition in its adjusted position on the rod, substantially as specified.

2. A document-file, comprising a base, uprights on the ends thereof, a rod removably connected to said uprights, partitions supported by and movable longitudinally of said rods, clamping-plates having swinging connection with the partitions and engaged over the rod, and thumb-screws passing through holes in the plates and into screw-threaded sockets carried by the partitions, substantially as specified.

3. A document-file, comprising a base, a rod extended above the base and longitudinally thereof, a partition supported by and movable along the rod, means for clamping the partition in its adjusted position, a boxing on the front edge of said partition at its lower end, an arm pivoted in said boxing so as to swing in and out thereof, and means for fastening said arm to the base,substantially as specified.

RICHARD O. DERBY.

lVitnesses:

RICHARD DE LOGEROT, BLANCHE N. DE LOGEROT. 

